His Weakness

Chapter 16: C-Crystal...!?

*evilly smiles*

Lavi's POV

Two weeks have passed since Crystal disappeared with Road. I couldn't think straight with anything. I nearly got Allen and Lenalee killed on our most recent assignment, I can hardly eat or sleep, and the panda is starting to realize something is up.

"Hey Lavi, Kumoi has another assignment for us." Allen said as I sat at the cafeteria table looking at my food but not touching it.

"Alright..." I rose and left my food sitting there while I followed Allen to Kumoi's office.

"Lavi, I know you're worried about Crystal but you should eat and have you even slept since she disappeared?" I shrugged my shoulders lightly.

"Sort of..." He sighed but dropped it as we walked into the director's office.

"Sit down you two." We sat down on the paper filled couch.

"What the old panda isn't coming?" I asked trying to sound like myself.

"No, Bookman has to remain here in case Crystal returns. You two will be going to the town you found Crystal, there have been numerous Akuma sightings there and the Asia Branch is getting worried that something may have happened." Every time someone mentioned her name I felt a little part of me die on the inside.

"Why can't the Asia Branch handle it?" I asked harshly.

"They sent someone but that girl never returned..." I got up without saying anything and walked out of the office.

"Lavi!" Allen called rushing after me as I got into the elevator. "You know you should really try to get her out of your mind, we have to focus on the assignment." I slammed my fist against the wall.

"First you tell me to be her friend now you're telling me to get her out of my mind which is it Allen?!" I yelled before storming out of the elevator and on to the boat.

"I'm sorry Lavi. I'm being insensitive, are you alright?" I shook my head and pushed off the platform.

"No Allen I'm not alright. The girl who means more than my entire life to me was kidnapped by the Clan of Noah. I have no idea on what they're doing to her and to be perfectly honest I don't know if she's dead or alive!" Allen shut his mouth after that and neither of us spoke another word for the entire train ride to the closest town with a harbor.

"I'm sure she's still alive. Crystal wouldn't die that easily." I sighed as we boarded the boat.

"I hope you're right Allen."

*two days later*

We had one more day until we were going to be there and all that was on my mind was the first time I saw her.

Her scared face as the Akuma attacked everyone in her village, her friends turning into Akuma and attacking her, and the image of her mother turning into an Akuma as well.

She had the worst possible luck when it came to Akuma and now she was in their grasp. Who knows what kind of tortuous things the Earl was doing to her while I just sat her going on pointless assignments.

"Hey Allen, I'm going to crash for the night." I said to him as I turned to head down below deck.

"Try and sleep, I know you have nightmares about her..." I sighed and continued walking down to the sleeping quarters. I curled up in one of the beds and closed my eyes.

*dream/nightmare*

"Lavi!!!" That was Crystal's voice!

"Crystal!!!?" That's when she came running out of the trees that were surrounding me.

"Lavi, why didn't you help me?! Because of you I'm dead!" I shivered as I saw her once perfectly normal body start getting sliced up and blood oozed from the wounds.

"Crystal! Please don't die! I can help you!" She was crying and I could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I'm going to die all alone because of you... Why did you push me away? All I ever wanted was to be your friend..." I felt tears stream down my face as I watched her collapse to the ground, her eyes going lifeless and her body limp.

I awoke with a scream and heart pounding wildly in my chest. I could feel the fresh tears in my eyes as I remembered the dream.

"Dammit Crystal... It's all my fault..." I muttered.

"Lavi?" I looked over and saw Allen rubbing his eyes as he woke up.

"Hey..." He sat up and looked at my tear stained face.

"You had another nightmare didn't you?" I nodded slightly.

"All they are are nightmares nothing more. Try and get some more rest." I watched him lay back down and close his eyes.

It was easy for him to say that, but how would he feel if he was in my shoes?

The next morning we landed on the harbor and headed into the town.

"So they sent an Exorcist here and they never returned..." Allen said as we looked around.

"Yeah, I wonder where she disappeared to?"

"Beats me." Allen answered shrugging his shoulders.

"Welcome Exorcists." A creepily familiar female voice said. A person stepped out of the shadows wearing an Exorcist jacket the hood pulled up covering their face.

"Who are you? You're not an Akuma! Does that mean you're a Clan of Noah?" Allen said glaring at her.

"Well yes technically now I am, Allen Walker." I flinched back.

"How do you know his name?!" I yelled grabbing my hammer.

"I know your name as well Lavi Bookman. You're from the European Branch. You have a friend named Lenalee, who has a brother named Kumoi. You both have a hate-hate relationship with Kanda and you came here with heavy hearts because this is where you met Crystal Silverwing. The girl who was kidnapped by Road." I was stunned that this girl knew so much about us.

"Where's Crystal?" She giggled.

"Well she's dead."

Dead...

"She can't be..." Allen muttered next to me.

"Oh it is. It's unfortunate, but your friend no longer had the will to suffer through the torture Road put her through." I clenched my fist around my hammer.

"Big hammer, little hammer. Grow! Grow!! GROW!!!!!" My hammer grew and I slammed it into the girl who was thrown into a wall. she coughed and then stood up the hood from the jacket falling down.

Who I saw standing there made me drop my hammer.

"C-Crystal?!"